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Every day I see people getting emotionally triggered by something. A “trigger” is something that releases negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, sadness, hurt or intrusive thoughts of a past event/trauma. For the Veteran, the sound of a car backfiring or loud boom of fireworks might bring them back to combat. For the sexual trauma survivor certain smells, or a certain time of day or time of year, or type of touch can trigger painful memories. An old song playing can remind us of the painful breakup that broke our heart and we can feel rejected and dejected all over again. Triggers are essentially sights, smells, sounds, events, places, & people that get linked to something negative. Our brain associates these things and when the trigger occurs we can feel the feeling we felt before and have reactions that are based on these past experiences. A woman coming to my office sees a man in the parking lot that looks a lot like someone who raped her. The hair coloring, build, and mannerisms look the same and given she was already feeling anxious and stressed, her nervous system was a bit sensitive. Suddenly she feels overwhelmed with anxiety and panic with racing thoughts that she might be harmed, even though at 11am this man could clearly not be the deceased man who raped her 20 years before. Triggers can set us in an emotional time warp. Even though we may know where we are and who we are, it can set an overwhelming emotional reaction that feels out of control. You could be in a meeting presenting to a group of people and the reaction of someone triggers a feeling of rage, or helplessness. You might overreact to criticism or to some conflict and the current situation may trigger feelings you had as a child dealing with a critical, extremely demanding or abusive parent. Whatever your triggers are, it is important to identify them and understand their roots. This helps us to better manage our emotions and have the kind of reactions we want to have. When we overreact or underreact to situations, the triggers and the past unresolved hurts are controlling us. If we can understand them, talk about them, and deal with our emotions through therapy or a healing relationship we can overcome our past traumas and be free to live in our present. We are also better prepared to deal with future situations that could trigger us because we can figure out new ways of dealing with these situations.

Testimonials

Testimonials

Workshop participant

Dr. Pokrajac has a way of making a complex topic understandable and highly practical. She is a highly engaging speaker and extremely knowledgeable. I look forward to attending other workshops by her.

2013-06-07T20:39:03+00:00

Dr. Pokrajac has a way of making a complex topic understandable and highly practical. She is a highly engaging speaker and extremely knowledgeable. I look forward to attending other workshops by her.

http://www.drteripokrajac.com/?testimonial=workshop-participant

Child Sexual Abuse Survivor, Marriage Family Therapist

The old saying, “When the student is ready the teacher appears” sums it up well.

I attended a seminar given by Dr. Pokrajac on treating Complex PTSD and was excited to find that there was someone in my area who knew what they were doing in treating the effects of trauma. Although I had a wonderful therapist at the time there were certain details of my life that I didn’t want to share with the man who was my therapist. I was still having nightmares and flashbacks about the sexual abuse I suffered during my childhood, had severe bouts of depression and was cutting myself as a way to numb the pain. I was also being triggered by disclosures from my own clients. A year or so after the seminar I finally made the call for an appointment with “the expert”. When I started therapy with Dr. Pokrajac I was barely hanging on and desperate to find some relief. As difficult as it was to start fresh with someone, I’m so grateful to have made the journey and had “ the expert” to guide me through it. I can finally say that I’m on the other side. It has been a long road for me and without her patience, understanding, knowledge and skills I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I’m back working full-time in my field, am free from nightmares and finally free to live life I’ve always wanted to live.

2013-06-07T20:46:09+00:00

The old saying, “When the student is ready the teacher appears” sums it up well. I attended a seminar given by Dr. Pokrajac on treating Complex PTSD and was excited to find that there was someone in my area who knew what they were doing in treating the effects of trauma. Although I had a wonderful therapist at the time there were certain details of my life that I didn’t want to share with the man who was my therapist. I was still having nightmares and flashbacks about the sexual abuse I suffered during my childhood, had severe bouts of depression and was cutting myself as a way to numb the pain. I was also being triggered by disclosures from my own clients. A year or so after the seminar I finally made the call for an appointment with “the expert”. When I started therapy with Dr. Pokrajac I was barely hanging on and desperate to find some relief. As difficult as it was to start fresh with someone, I’m so grateful to have made the journey and had “ the expert” to guide me through it. I can finally say that I’m on the other side. It has been a long road for me and without her patience, understanding, knowledge and skills I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I’m back working full-time in my field, am free from nightmares and finally free to live life I’ve always wanted to live.

Trauma Survivor, Massage Therapist

Teri Pokrajac was immensely supportive and encouraging during a difficult period in my marriage as well as my relationship with my teenage daughter. She is kind and caring without being intrusive, respectful of boundaries, and a wonderful advocate for women's self-actualization. Teri recommended an excellent therapist for my daughter at a crucial juncture in my daughter's life. My therapy with Teri put me on solid footing and I've continued to make progress thanks to her help.

2013-06-07T20:45:51+00:00

Teri Pokrajac was immensely supportive and encouraging during a difficult period in my marriage as well as my relationship with my teenage daughter. She is kind and caring without being intrusive, respectful of boundaries, and a wonderful advocate for women's self-actualization. Teri recommended an excellent therapist for my daughter at a crucial juncture in my daughter's life. My therapy with Teri put me on solid footing and I've continued to make progress thanks to her help.

Survivor of Childhood Trauma, Professional Artist

I have been working with Dr. Pokrajac for a few years now. When I first met with Teri I was losing time and struggling with flashbacks from childhood trauma. I was depressed and my life was out of control. Right away I felt comfortable with Teri and found her easy to talk with. She’s been able to help me reduce the flashbacks and work through many of the issues that prevented me from truly living. Teri has been consistent, supportive, attentive, and focused. She’s fiercely protective of what is shared and I find that comforting. Because of my work with Teri I have been able to find stability and my symptoms have been reduced significantly. I experience far more joy and strength today than I ever dreamed possible. It’s been difficult work but Teri has walked with me on this journey toward healing…and I am forever grateful.

2013-06-07T20:45:35+00:00

I have been working with Dr. Pokrajac for a few years now. When I first met with Teri I was losing time and struggling with flashbacks from childhood trauma. I was depressed and my life was out of control. Right away I felt comfortable with Teri and found her easy to talk with. She’s been able to help me reduce the flashbacks and work through many of the issues that prevented me from truly living. Teri has been consistent, supportive, attentive, and focused. She’s fiercely protective of what is shared and I find that comforting. Because of my work with Teri I have been able to find stability and my symptoms have been reduced significantly. I experience far more joy and strength today than I ever dreamed possible. It’s been difficult work but Teri has walked with me on this journey toward healing…and I am forever grateful.

Marital Therapy Client

Dr. Pokrajac has helped my husband and I reconnect and address issues that have long affected our marriage. After having our children, we found ourselves just going through the motions of our family life and our relationship fell apart. While our faith held us together, there were years of distance and unhealthy patterns that affected our relationship. Dr. Pokrajac helped us heal from our own pasts, and find new and healthier ways to connect with one another. We are grateful to Dr. Pokrajac for her compassion and guidance. We have recommended her to our friends and will continue to do so. She really helped save our marriage.

2013-06-07T20:45:21+00:00

Dr. Pokrajac has helped my husband and I reconnect and address issues that have long affected our marriage. After having our children, we found ourselves just going through the motions of our family life and our relationship fell apart. While our faith held us together, there were years of distance and unhealthy patterns that affected our relationship. Dr. Pokrajac helped us heal from our own pasts, and find new and healthier ways to connect with one another. We are grateful to Dr. Pokrajac for her compassion and guidance. We have recommended her to our friends and will continue to do so. She really helped save our marriage.